NORTH MIAMI, Fla. (WSVN) — Five teenagers were arrested, Wednesday night, for their connection to a Mace attack and carjacking that took place at a North Miami condominium parking lot, Monday.
According to police, the teens, four girls and one boy, between the ages of 16 and 17 years old, sprayed a 24-year-old Keiser University student with Mace pepper spray and then attacked her, stealing her backpack containing her car keys and cellphone. Then, they took off in her car, leaving her stranded inside the parking garage outside her condominium.
"They didn’t look like thieves or anything like that, it was like a bunch of kids, like teenagers," said the victim named Heydi. "They spray me, but they don’t get me in the front, they get me through the side, so I turn around like, ‘What the hell?’ and this lady keeps spraying me and then pulling on my hair."
On Wednesday night, one of the suspects’ mothers called police to report that her daughter was riding in a stolen car near Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise. That’s when a police officer spotted the car, ran its tag and saw that it had been reported stolen in an armed robbery in North Miami on Monday.
Police said when they attempted to pull the vehicle over, the driver took off. A few blocks later, all of the occupants in the vehicle bailed out and ran. They were all caught, and, police said, they all admitted their involvement in the robbery.
7News spoke with the mother who called the police. "This is the worse nightmare," said Darly Geffrard. "This is not how I raised my kids. This is not how they’re raised, so if that happened, they need to get arrested."
Geffrard apologized for the actions of her daughter, Janeth. "That’s not how I raised my kids. That’s not how my parents raised me," she said. "For that to happen to her, sorry is not even enough. I am so sorry."
Heydi is thankful, however, that she didn’t put up a fight. "A phone, a car — it’s not worth your life. I was just happy they didn’t do anything else," she said.
The mother of another suspect had no idea her daughter was in trouble until 7News contacted her. "The last time I saw her was Monday morning," said Althea Mitchell, the mother of one of the teens. "I’ve been looking for her since then. Call and didn’t get no call or anything until Channel 7News called my phone."
The male suspect, Kersey Lindor, appeared in bond court, Thursday afternoon. He has been charged with grand theft auto. According to officials, his defense is disputing the charge due to a lack of evidence in his involvement, so Lindor will be back in court, Friday.
Heydi has spent several hundred dollars to replace her phone and Keiser University has replaced her books. She doesn’t have her car back as yet because it is evidence. However, she said she won’t let the experience shake her. "I don’t like to live with fear," she said. "I hope they go through the justice system and the process, and I hope they learn from this."
Police believe another teen may have been involved. All they have is the name Destiny. If you know anything about Destiny or this armed robbery, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.